Sign assembly

ABSTRACT

A sign assembly includes a base, a pair of spring members, and a panel. The spring members include a resilient portion that includes attachment means at a first end to enable attachment of the spring member to the base. The spring members also include a generally straight rod that extends from a second end of the resilient portion. The panel defines a pair of openings at a lower edge configured to slidably receive the rod of the spring members. The amount by which the rod slides into the panel is configured to secure the panel in an upright position.

BACKGROUND

I. Field

The present application relates to a sign assembly for displayingsignage.

II. Description of Related Art

When advertising a product or service, it is common to post a sign inthe region where the product is being sold or the service is beingoffered. For example, a restaurant may place a sign in front of therestaurant announcing specialties. In some instances, the sign includesa base and a panel that are connected via springs. The springs enablethe panel to flex in the presence of wind.

However, to secure the springs, a u-shaped metal bracket configured toattach to the bottom of the panel must be attached to the springs. Thepanel is then attached to the bracket via screws or the like, whichincreases the complexity of the sign, and also the amount of time andexpertise required to assemble the sign.

The sign may include a pair of wheels on a bottom side of the base toenable moving the sign. The wheels may be attached to the base via acommon axle. However, the axle is secured to the bottom of the base bysnapping the axle into a groove in the bottom of the base or via abracket configured to hold the axle against the bottom surface of thebase. The common axle may flex under the weight of ballast in the base.When this occurs, the bottom side of the base may drag against a surfacewhen being moved.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a sign assembly includes a base, a pair of springmembers, and a panel. The spring members include a resilient portionthat includes attachment means at a first end to enable attachment ofthe spring members to the base. The spring members also include agenerally straight rod that extends from a second end of the resilientportion. The panel defines a pair of openings at a lower edge configuredto slidably receive the rod of the spring members. The amount by whichthe rod slides into the panel is configured to secure the panel in anupright position.

In a second aspect, a sign assembly includes a panel and a base. Thebase is configured to be attached to the panel via a resilient member.The bottom surface of the base defines a pair of cavities. The cavitiesare positioned substantially adjacent to a forward edge of the bottomsurface. A pair of wheel assemblies is secured within respectivecavities on the bottom surface. Each wheel assembly includes a housingthat houses an axle and wheel.

Other features and advantages will be, or will become, apparent to onewith skill in the art upon examination of the following figures anddetailed description. It is intended that all such additional featuresand advantages included within this description be within the scope ofthe claims, and be protected by the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the claims, are incorporated in, and constitute a partof this specification. The detailed description and illustratedembodiments described serve to explain the principles defined by theclaims.

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a sign assembly;

FIG. 1B illustrates a cross-section view of a groove and rod;

FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate a spring member of the sign assembly;

FIGS. 2C-2E illustrate attachment portions for attaching the springmember to a base;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are top and bottom perspective view, respectively, of aspring shaft retainer;

FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom surface of a base of the sign assembly;

FIG. 5A illustrates a wheel assembly;

FIG. 5B illustrates a wheel housing;

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary group of operations for manufacturingcomponents of the sign assembly; and

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary group of operations for assemblingcomponents of the sign assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The exemplary embodiments below describe a sign assembly with a reducedcomponent count. The sign assembly includes a base and panel connectedtogether via a pair of spring members. The spring members attach to thebase via fasteners and include rods configured to slidably enter a panelvia openings in the bottom of the panel. The rods are interwoven througha group of grooves that enable a tight fit between the panel and therods.

The sign assembly also includes a pair of wheel assemblies. Each wheelassembly includes a housing that houses an axle and wheel. The wheelassemblies are inserted into cavities defined by the bottom surface ofthe base while the base is still warm from a forming process. The basethen contracts as it cools, forming a tight fit with the wheelassemblies.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a sign assembly 100. The signassembly 100 includes a pair of spring members 110, a panel 115, and abase 105. The spring members 110 are utilized to resiliently attach thepanel 115 to the base 105. The spring members 110 enable the panel 115to flex in the presence of wind.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the spring members 110 include a resilient portion125 and a generally straight rod 120. The resilient portion 125 maycorrespond to a coil. The rod 120 may extend from a second end of theresilient portion 125. Referring to FIG. 2B, in some implementations,the resilient portion 125 and the rod 120 are formed from a singlecontinuous piece of material. The material may be a rigid material, suchas steel or a other appropriate material as known in the art.

A first end of the resilient portion 125 nearest the base 105 may beconfigured to attach to the base 105. For example, referring to FIGS.2C-2E, a threaded insert 205 (FIG. 2C) for receiving a fastener 210(FIG. 2D), such as a screw, may be positioned into the first end of theresilient portion 125, as shown in FIG. 2E. The spring member 110 maythen be attached to a corresponding fastener 210 extending from anunderside of the base 105.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the panel 115 may be configured to enable theattachment of signage to a front and/or back surface 132A and 132B ofthe panel 115. For example, the panel 115 may include attaching meanssuch as those disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 12/755,140, filedApr. 6, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The panel 115 may define a pair of openings 113 at a lower edge 112sized to enable slidably receiving the rod 120 of the respective springmembers 110. A pair of spring shaft retainers 117 may be positionedbetween the spring members 110 and the panel. Referring to FIGS. 3A and3B, the spring shaft retainer 117 defines a generally u-shaped upperside configured to be positioned over the lower edge 112 of the panel115 and a circular portion 305 on a lower side 315 configured to coverthe second or top end of the spring member 110. The spring shaftretainer 117 also defines an opening 320 in a center region throughwhich the rod 120 extends. The spring shaft retainer 117 preventsdeformation of the openings in the bottom of the panel 115 by providingextra support between the spring members 110 and the panel 115. Withoutthe spring shaft retainers 117, the openings in the bottom of the panel115 may begin “ovaling” or otherwise deforming when the sign assembly100 is moved. This problem may be exacerbated when ballast is added tothe base 105.

The panel 115 may also define grooves 130 through which the rod 120extends. The grooves 130 are configured to provide a frictional forceagainst the rod 120 that substantially prevents movement of the panel115 relative to the rod 120. In some implementations, the grooves 130define a generally v-shape cross-section configured to wrap around aportion of the rod 120 to increase an amount of friction between therods 120 and the grooves 130, as illustrated in FIG. 1B. In someimplementations, the grooves 130 are defined on both the front surface132 a and the back surface 132B of the panel 115 so that the rod 120 isinterwoven through the panel 115 to enable some portions of the rod 120to be viewed from the front surface 132A and other portions of the rod120 to be viewed from the back surface 132B.

The length of the rods 120 may be sized to enable securing the panel 115in an upright position. For example, the rods 120 may extend into thepanel by an amount equal to at least one third of the height of thepanel 115, or more.

The base 105 may be generally hollow and may include an opening 123 forinserting ballast into the base 105 to add weight to the base. Referringto FIG. 4, the bottom surface 405 of the base 105 may define a firstgroup of cavities 410 and a second group of cavities 415. The firstgroup of cavities 410 is configured to receive fasteners 425 that enableattaching the spring members 110 to the base 105. The second group ofcavities 415 is positioned substantially adjacent to a forward edge 420of the base 105 and is configured to receive wheel assemblies 420.

The wheel assemblies 420 include a housing 435 that houses an axle 440and a wheel 445. Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, an outside surface of thehousing 435 defines extensions 440 configured to prevent the housing 435from being removed from the second group of cavities 415. The extensions440 may configured as teeth that allow the wheel assemblies 420 to beinserted, but not removed. For example, the extensions 440 may be angledto a point one end. The extensions 440 may be spaced apart in a rowalong the entire length, from front edge to back edge, of the entireoutside surface.

Opposing inner surfaces of the housing 435 define a pair of guides 505that enable slidably inserting the axle 440 and wheel 445 into thehousing until the axle 440 engages a pair of openings 510 that securethe axle 440 in position. In some implementations, a forward edge 515 ofthe housing 435 is beveled to match a profile 114 of the forward edge430 of the bottom surface 405 of the base 105.

FIG. 6 illustrates a group of exemplary operations for manufacturing thesign assembly 100 of FIG. 1. At block 600, a base may be formed. Forexample, the base 105 (FIG. 1) described above may be formed via, forexample, a blow-molding process or another process known in the artcapable of producing a substantially sealed hollow form. The base 105may be formed to include a first group of cavities 410 though whichfasteners 425 are inserted, and a second group of cavities 415 forreceiving wheel assemblies 420, as described above.

At block 605, a pair of wheel assemblies 420 such as those describedabove may be prepared. The preparation of each wheel assembly 420 mayinclude inserting an axle 340 through a wheel 445. Then the axle 440 andwheel 445 may be inserted into a housing 435. The housing 435 may defineguides on opposing inner surfaces that enable sliding the axle 440 intothe housing 435. The housing 435 may define teeth 440 or otherextensions on opposing outer surfaces.

At block 610, the wheel assemblies may be inserted into the base. Forexample, the wheel assemblies 420 described above may be inserted in thesecond group of cavities 415 defined in the bottom surface 405 of thebase 105. In one implementation, the wheel assemblies 420 are insertedwhile the base 105 is still hot and somewhat malleable from the formingprocess at block 600. The base 105 is then allowed to cool and contractaround the wheel assemblies 420. When contracting, the teeth 440 maypress against and into the inner surfaces of the second group ofcavities 415, thus providing a tight fit.

At block 615, a panel may be formed in a similar manner as the base atblock 600. For example, the panel 115 described above may be formed viablow molding. The panel 115 may be formed to define a pair of openings113 in a bottom edge 112 and a group of grooves 130 on front and backsurfaces 132A and 132B for receiving a rod 120.

At block 620, the spring members may be formed. For example, the springmembers 110 described above may be fabricated from a material, such assteel round stock to form a resilient portion 125 in the form of a coiland a rod 120 that extends from the resilient portion 125.

The various operations shown in FIG. 6 and the order of the operationsare merely exemplary. Additional or fewer operations may be performedand/or the operations may be performed in a different sequence.

FIG. 7 illustrates a group of exemplary operations for assembling thesign assembly 100 of FIG. 1. At block 700, a base, panel, and a pair ofspring members, such as the base 105, panel 115, and spring members 125described above, may be provided.

At block 705, the spring members may be attached to the base. Forexample, a pair of fasteners 210, such as threaded fasteners, may beinserted through the base 305 from a bottom side, through openingsdefined in a first group of cavities 310. The fasteners 210 may thenattach to a first end of a resilient portion 125 of the spring member110. For example, a threaded fitting 205 for receiving a threadedfastener 210 may be positioned within the first end of the resilientportion 125 of the spring member 110.

At block 708, a spring shaft retainer 117 may be fit over each of therods 120. The respective spring shaft retainers 117 support the panel115 and prevent deformation of the openings in the bottom of the panel115.

At block 710, a panel may be slid over rods of the spring members so asto rest on the spring shaft retainers 117. For example, the rods 120described above may be inserted through openings 113 defined in thebottom of the panel 115. The panel 115 may then be maneuvered so thatthe rods 120 pass through grooves 130 defined on the front and backsurface 132A and 132B of the panel 115. The grooves 130 may provide africtional force against the rods 120 that substantially preventsmovement of the panel 115 relative to the rods 120. The grooves 130 arepositioned to enable viewing the rod 120 as the rod 120 is slid into thepanel 115.

The various operations shown in FIG. 7 and the order of the operationsare merely exemplary. Additional or fewer operations may be performedand/or the operations may be performed in a different sequence.

While the method and system has been described with reference to certainembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted withoutdeparting from the scope. In addition, many modifications may be made toadapt a particular situation or material to the teachings withoutdeparting from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the presentmethod and system not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed,but that the method and system include all embodiments falling withinthe scope of the appended claims.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A sign assembly comprising: a base; at least onespring member, wherein said at least one spring member includes aresilient portion that includes attachment means at a first end toenable attachment of said at least one spring member to said base and agenerally straight rod extending from a second end of said resilientportion; and a panel that defines a front surface and a back surface andat least one opening at a lower edge configured to slidably receive saidrod of said at least one spring member, wherein an amount by which saidrod slides into said panel is configured to secure said panel in anupright position, wherein said panel defines at least one channel on thefront surface and at least one channel on the back surface through whichsaid rod extends and is interwoven, wherein at least one of said atleast one channel on the first surface and said at least one channel onthe back surface has a cross-section that complements a cross-section ofthe rod and that provides a frictional force against said rod thatsubstantially prevents movement of said panel relative to said rod,wherein said at least one channel on said front and said at least onechannel on said back surface are open at respective panel surfaces sothat different portions of said rod are visible from both of the frontand back surfaces of the panel .
 22. The sign assembly according toclaim 21, wherein said rod extends into said panel by an amount equal toat least one third of an entire height of said panel.
 23. The signassembly according to claim 21, wherein said resilient portion and saidrod are formed from a single piece of material.
 24. The sign assemblyaccording to claim 21, wherein said panel defines two openings at saidbottom edge for receiving each rod of a pair of spring members, whereinsaid openings are positioned substantially adjacent to first and secondside edges of said panel.
 25. The sign assembly according to claim 21,wherein said resilient portion defines a coil.
 26. A method formanufacturing a sign assembly: providing a base; forming at least onespring member that includes a resilient portion with a first endconfigured to attach to said base and a generally straight rod extendingfrom a second end of said resilient portion; forming a panel thatdefines a front surface and a back surface and at least one opening at alower edge configured to slidably receive said rod of said at least onespring member, wherein an amount by which said rod slides into saidpanel is configured to secure said panel in an upright position; andforming at least one channel on the front surface and at least onechannel on the back surface of said panel through which said rod extendsand is interwoven, wherein at least one of said at least one channel onthe first surface and said at least one channel on the back surface hasa cross-section that complements a cross-section of the rod and thatprovides a frictional force against said rod that substantially preventsmovement of said panel relative to said rod, wherein said at least onechannel on said front and said at least one channel on said back surfaceare open at respective panel surfaces so that different portions of saidrod are visible from both of the front and back surfaces of the panel.27. The method according to claim 26, wherein said rod extends into saidpanel by an amount equal to at least one third of an entire height ofsaid panel.
 28. The method according to claim 26, further comprisingforming said resilient portion and said rod from a single piece ofmaterial.
 29. The method according to claim 26, further comprisingforming two openings at said bottom edge of said panel for receivingeach rod of a pair of spring members, wherein said openings arepositioned substantially adjacent to first and second side edges of saidpanel.
 30. The method according to claim 26, wherein said resilientportion defines a coil.